It is quite common, especially for children, to knock over or drop their drinking cups, thus spilling the liquid contained inside the cup.
Previous attempts at circumventing this type of problem resulted in the manufacturing of drinking cups having a removable lid which had to be positioned over the opening when the cup was resting unused on a table.
However, this type of structure necessitated the replacement of the cover over the cup everytime the cup rested on the table top and did not prevent spillage when the cup was simply dropped out of the hand of the user.
The same cover which prevents spillage, allows the user, to drink from the cup, without removing the cover.
The present invention is thus adapted to provide a built-in structure which prevents spillage of the liquid inside the cup without the intervention of the user.
Various embodiments of the invention are adapted to prevent spillage of the liquid they contain in the event that they are inadvertently knocked over or dropped. Embodiments disclosed in the present application use the same basic feature whereby a cover is resiliently biased against a flange extendng inwardly from the periphery of the top opening. In some embodiments, the cover is pushed, in others it is pulled. Some of the biasing mechanisms are located inside the cup, others are located outside the cup but in all embodiments the cover seals off the top opening of the cup until the user wishing to drink out of the cup pushes a segment of the cover inwardly creating a passage between the cover and the flange which allows passage of the liquid.